The Nearly-Weds
by RachysAddictionToWords
Summary: When Elena Gilbert is left jilted at the alter by Stefan Fell, she moves to Boston to leave her life and become a nanny. What happens when she becomes the nanny for the rudest and most selfish man she's ever met? AU/AH Delena Please R
1. Chapter 1

_**Disclaimer : No copyright infringement intended.**_

_**The Nearly-Weds**_

_**Chapter 1**_

As I'm sitting here on a plane, lifting further away from Mystic Falls, I feel a sense of relief. I'm leaving the stares and constant whispers about my failed wedding to Stefan Fell, one of the most eligible bachelors in town. That's one problem about living in such a small area, everything gets out quickly. Though, I guess the whole town was there. It was my mother's idea. I wanted a small affair but we are both founding families; the Fell's have an outstanding reputation and their image must not be tarnished. Although, I wonder how Stefan's actions will backlash him and his family. I guess it's not my problem any more though. I'm leaving, for a long time.

Staring out the window, I start to see Boston more clearly. My new life was waiting for me, consisting of a new family: just a mother and her two children, 4 year old Jack and 6 year old Maisie. Sounds like a cute family, Mrs D Salvatore and her 2 adorable children, this should be easy.

As we make our down towards the runway, I picture what Stefan is doing right now. I don't know where he is, what he's doing or who he is with but I know one thing, I can't regret my decision. I'm here to start again. Even after everything that happened before, I'm still sitting here.

The plane finally touched down, allowing the tremendous amount of stress to finally be lifted from my shoulders. Taking a deep breath, I departed the aircraft, in transit to my new life. Finding my luggage quickly, I make my way through the clusters of people, looking to find a woman with my name written upon a board. What I find, though, is that the person coming to collect me is not Mrs Salvatore. In place of the home-making, kind mother I had expected to greet me, is a tall, attractive man with a certain aura of mysteriousness about him. He is sexy as hell with edgy, dark hair and sparkling blue eyes that contrast almost perfectly against his slightly pale skin. But, why was he here? Looking around, I see no women anywhere, at least not with a board with my name on. Adding to my confusion were the 2 young children standing by his side.

As I stride over to where the man holding the board is, I try and cover up the fact that I am shocked that a man is here to meet me. I must be professional, I must look sophisticated. I must look like I know what I am doing here and not regretting every decision I've made in the past week. That one is going to take a while to accomplish, though.

As I get closer towards him, he suddenly looks in my direction and I feel my knees weaken as his perfect blue eyes stared at me. Although he appears to be at least 5 or 6 years older than me, his physique is one to make any girl melt into his arms. His build was a lot more cut than Stefan's but no less attractive. Although, as I look more at his attire, he isn't what I would call smart. Or even smart casual if I was being brutally honest. He clearly hasn't shaved in over a week and his black t-shirt looks like it has been chewed up and buried by a rabid dog. His slightly skinny jeans fit him perfectly though, and his leather jacket makes his blue eyes stand out even more. His young, dishevelled appearance is a far cry from any father figure I had ever known.

I winced as I was bombarded with a fare slew of suitcases on my way over. "Hello," I state as I reach his left side. But he doesn't move and he doesn't smile. He barely even looked at me. As I look over towards the two children beside him, I can instantly tell that they are his. They all share the same mesmerizing eyes, dark hair and fair skin. The little girl's hair falling in gorgeous wavy curls down her back, and the young boy's sitting atop his head in a very similar way to his father's. As I look back to the older man's face, I can evidently see the alarm in his face that his new nanny is me.

"I assume you must be Elena?" he questions as he stares at me. After hearing my name, both of the young children look in my direction, acknowledging my presence. They each give a polite, shy smile before going back to playing red hands.

"I am. And it's a pleasure to meet you. Thank you for agreeing to employ me." I offer a smile but I get nothing in return. If anything, he looks even more displeased than he did before.

"Follow me," he instructs as he grabs my suitcases from me and storms off towards the car, me and the two youngsters behind him.

As we reach the car, I am incredibly confused as he has mentioned nothing about his wife and why she isn't here.

"Pardon me for sounding rude, but may I ask where Mrs Salvatore is?" I ask as we reach the car. That's when Mr Salvatore chooses to turn around, meeting my questioning eyes with an ice cold glare that truthfully scares me.

"Is that supposed to be a funny joke?" He asks staring at me with the same hard stare as before.

"No," I say, confused by what he meant. "I was told that I would be working for a Mrs D Salvatore. I didn't mean to offend you."

"Sorry for the misunderstanding, _Honey_. I'm D Salvatore, Damon Salvatore. And as you can see, I'm all male," He replied with a smirk.

Turning towards the children, he quickly introduced me to Jack and Maisie. I loved both of those names so I instantly thought they were adorable. They were extremely kind but I didn't know how long that was going to last considering that they were the children of one of the rudest people I have ever met in my life.

The trip from the airport was as eventful as could be expected upon meeting the new family I'd be living with. Jack spent every second after meeting me explaining how play-dough tastes as a pizza base and that going to 'Old McDonald's' was his favourite restaurant. Luckily, Maisie explained that going to McDonald's was her favourite restaurant as well. Still, Mr Salvatore never said a word to me, didn't smile and barely looked in my direction.

When we arrived at the house, I was instantly shocked at the glamorous dwelling. It was a beautiful home, covered with weaving roses up the side. I couldn't believe that Mr Salvatore actually owned a house such as this, especially when he did not seem like the sort of person that appreciated a gorgeous garden or exterior design. From what I had been told, the house had 5 bedrooms: Mr Salvatore's, Maisie's, Jack's, what would now be mine and a spare. I had been warned that the door to the spare room was to always be locked and that no one was allowed in. I was surprised to say the least but I didn't want to ask anything, it wasn't my place and the look of pain in Mr Salvatore's eyes told me to drop any questions I had.

As soon as I put my bags down, Mr Salvatore gave me a key to the house and proceeded back to his car, shouting behind his shoulder that he had important work to deal with and that he would be back later. Maisie and Jack were to show me around and tell me their current routine. Did he not have a schedule he wanted me to follow? Perhaps we were going to discuss my days off when he returned and they were asleep.

"I'm bored. And I'm hungry," Maisie said loudly, snapping me from my thoughts quickly. I had babysat enough back at home to know a few games we could play to get to know each other. I was the best babysitter back home, and Stefan had always helped me with the kids.

Stefan. He was amazing with children. I had always wondered what our children would look like, be like. Stefan was always so caring towards them. He would've been the perfect father.

"Well, what would you like to play? Perhaps we could try a fun quiz to get to know each other?"

"That sounds boring. I want to play with my dollies. And me and Jack want pizza now."

Ok, so maybe Maisie isn't as polite as she was 30 minutes ago. Let's hope the rest of the evening goes smoother once Damon gets home. Somehow I feel like that is highly unlikely.

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**A/N: Well, finally after nearly 6 months of saying I was going to start writing I have finally put up the first chapter of my first multi-chapter fic. I have had this idea for ages and just decided to sit down and right one day. This is based on a story by Jane Costello but I'm going to add some extra things and a couple different events that I think will fit this as it's a Vampire Diaries FanFiction. Thank you so much _NutzForTheBucks_ for reading and editing any of my mistakes. I am hoping to update every Sunday at 6pm GMT and might start uploading more if people start liking this, reviewing and I get a few people viewing this story. Please review or PM me and I will love you forever. **

**Hope you enjoyed this chapter **

**Rachel xx**


	2. Chapter 2

I'm so sorry that there is no chapter two at the moment. A lot has happened this week and I haven't had time to finish the half I have written and have had some priorities that are more important, for example school and close friends being very ill. I'm going to change my update day to Wednesdays so I will have a new chapter for you on Wednesday at 5pm as I can write the other half tomorrow night. Xx I'm sorry for this but I did not foresee these other priorities but there will be a chapter up soon. If you follow me on Twitter RachelSkipper1 I will tweet before I upload and tweet if I have any other problems. Again sorry but please understand the reasons as to why I haven't uploaded are important. Sorry!


	3. Chapter 3

_**Disclaimer : No copyright infringement intended.**_

**The Nearly-Weds**

**Chapter 2**

I had no idea that 3 hours could go so slowly. Maisie spent every second telling me that her daddy was the best thing since sliced bread; "Our daddy's been to Italy loads. Our daddy works in a really big building. He went to England once too!"

It was adorably cute the first time she complimented him, but going on for every second of the evening was really starting to test my patience. Especially when I could barely understand what she was saying with food in her mouth. As time went on, however, I was quickly becoming aware that Damon would not be home before his children should go to bed. They were far to chirpy and excitable at eight-thirty in the evening. I wasn't even sure if they should still be awake.

As I walked into the living room, if was immediately clear that Maisie was extremely protective over Jack and they loved to entertain each other. But, I had to get them to bed soon. "It's time to head up to bed, guys," I said loudly after they had finished laughing. And they just stared. They stood there staring at me with a weird look on their faces like they were waiting for me to start laughing or yell 'joke'.

"You can't be serious!" Maisie screamed at me. I had no idea a 6-year-old girl could scream at me about something so stupid. As if my headache wasn't bad enough after her long speech about her 'amazing' father. "It's barely past eight! How do you expect us to sleep when we are so happy?"

"Look, guys. I've had an extremely long and busy day so could you please do me this small thing and go to bed? We can do whatever you want to do tomorrow. If you want to go to the park tomorrow, or do something fun, you need loads of sleep."

"Fine. But you have to promise to do something fun with us tomorrow," Maisie said matter-of-factly. I have never met someone so stubborn before. My little cousins were always stubborn but they were easy to bribe if you had chunky monkey ice-cream.

Walking into Maisie's bedroom, I think back to one of my mother's favourite sayings. Whenever we would go to someone's house, she would always look at the cleanliness of the living room. She said it would tell you how clean the other rooms were. If she thought a house needed a good clean she would always smile and comment, "This house is very well lived in." There are piles of clothes covering every inch of the floor, they act like stepping stones as if the carpet were lava. Jack's room wasn't much better either.

Walking down the staircase after putting the kids into bed, the door opens to reveal a very annoyed looking Damon. He stormed through towards the kitchen without acknowledging my presence. Maybe now wasn't the best time to talk but I had to know what my routine would be like for the foreseeable future.

"Um, Damon? I'm sorry to interrupt but I was wondering if we could talk about the children's routine and what hours I will have to myself. Is that ok?" I was practically oozing nervous energy from every pore of my skin. The dark look in his blue eyes made me wonder why he was so late and looked so irritated.

"Fine, but make it quick. I will be up late tonight so tell the kids not to disturb me in the morning." The tone of Damon's voice quickly made me think of what to actually say without sounding rude and lazy.

"What days will I be able to have some free time and relax without working? I'm not worried as long as they fit you." I try to hide the nervousness from my voice but it is clear as day that I am nervous to have this conversation with him.

"I don't know yet. Whenever you want, as long as someone's here at all times to watch them. I'm not bothered," Damon said, completely uninterested. It doesn't even seem like he listened to a word I said.

"Ok. What about the children's routine? Is there anything I should know? What time do you want them in bed?"

"I'm not bothered. There's nothing you need to know. Are we finished now? I have a some things to sort out and I really need you gone." Rude. "And I'm going to be up late so I would appreciate you and the kids being quiet in the morning."

As I turn around to walk upstairs to bed, I can't help but feel that the last few minutes were wasted when he obviously didn't pay attention or take into account anything I asked. I'm about to walk out the kitchen when he calls my name. "Can you drive?" He asks me.

"Excuse me?" Of course I can drive, but why did that mean anything for him?

"Sometimes I leave my car at the office if I have a ride home from a few companions. You'll have to drive me to 'the T' sometimes if I need to get to work." Ok, so I am the new nanny for someone that needs me to be his chauffeur too. It's not like I'm in a position to argue though. And the children are picked up by their school transport and nursery centre so they aren't an issue.

"That's fine. Goodnight." I breathe a sigh of relief as I slowly climb back up the stairs up towards my bedroom. Although he was rude and didn't listen, he didn't glare at me. Whenever I had to ask Stefan anything he would always act attentive a listen to me, even when I rambled. That's one thing I'm going to miss, someone actually listening to me. Stefan often needed me to pick him up from school after his lectures when we were studying together.

Climbing into my new bed, I look around my new bedroom thinking of all the things missing. My photos, my favourite alarm clock, my books and, most importantly, Stefan. I guess that I'm going to have to get used to that last one, the rest are still sitting in my suitcase. But I'm here now. I have to forget about Mystic Falls and about Stefan and the life we had planned. Wish me luck.

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**A/N: Ok, just to start, I hate this chapter. It was rushed because I don't want you guys to have to wait but I promise my other chapters won't be so rushed. I did not expect all of the problems that happened last week but I am still incredibly sorry. Anyway, I know this chapter is really rushed but I hope you kinda got what I wanted to say. And please review so that you can yell at me for my crappy timing and tell me what you think. Follow me on twitter for any updates on what's going on with this fanfic and any other writing related stuff RachelSkipper1 **

**Rachel xxx**

**Review comments:**

**Thank you to all of you that reviewed. You will find out in a good few chapters Damon's story and why he is quite rude and arrogant. And the kids won't be too rude but they do have to kinda make her regret her decision, at least for three or four more chapters. Maybe more. **


	4. Chapter 4

**__****Disclaimer : No copyright infringement intended.**

**The Nearly-Weds**

**Chapter 3**

Waking up at 6am was a strange and new occurrence for me. Back at home, in my home Stefan and I shared, Stefan would always arise first. He would wake up at 6 every morning, take a shower, cook me breakfast, prepare my bag or whatever else I needed for the day ahead and then he would wake me up. It was a routine that I loved and had grown accustomed to. He was always an extremely organized person and I always felt that he was a perfect match for me; maybe because he was so organized and I needed someone like that in my life.

Yesterday had been one of the busiest Sundays that I had had in a fairly long time.

"_Wake up!" Maisie screamed next to my ear. It was barely 7:30am and Maisie and Jack were bouncing on my bed like they had been drinking Red Bull for days. "You promised us you would take us out! I want to go to the park. Can me and Jack go on the new climbing frame? Can we get ice-cream and cupcakes after?" Maisie's questions, very loud questions, seemed to wake the only person in the house that was asleep. And the one person that I wanted to be a heavy sleeper._

"_I thought I asked last night that you made sure the kids stayed quiet so I could sleep. This is a Sunday, the last day of the weekend and I need some sleep before dealing with difficult, deficient clients for another 5 days. Can you please leave the house so I can sleep?" Damon said, walking straight into my room, without knocking, wearing nothing but pajama trousers very lowly on his hips. _

"_Daddy, Miss Elena is taking us to the park. We are gonna get ice-cream. Me and Jack both want chocolate cookie crumble," Maisie said, a beaming smile on her face as she looked up at her father. _

"_Is she? That's great, sweetheart," Damon said uninterested. Maisie could hear by the tone of his voice he didn't really care. Her face faltered for only a second but I saw and I could still see the heartbreak that her father didn't care behind her gorgeous, sparkling blue eyes. _

"_Can we go and get some food, Miss Elena? That way Daddy can go back to sleep." Jack had not spoken to me, besides saying hello, before now. I just nodded, took their hands and took them downstairs to the kitchen. _

_After giving them some breakfast, getting them dressed and making them brush their teeth, with some persuasion that if they did they would be movie stars one day, I lead them out the door and down a few blocks to the park opposite the cafés and the infamous ice-cream parlor that Jack explained he adored. Maisie stayed quiet throughout our walk and the heartbreak of her father's tone was still there. I wondered if he had spoke like that towards his children often and if he ever did things like this with them. If I had children, I would take them to the park every weekend and teach them to ride their bikes along the path. _

_Jack and Maisie quickly took of as we reached the park gates and ran towards the large airplane-shaped climbing frame. They looked so happy and carefree. I didn't know how often they got to do this but from the look of freedom on their faces I had a feeling that they only did this once in a blue moon. I had heard before from where I had been employed that they had walked over quite a few nannies and I wondered why they had never persuaded their nannies to do this before. My mom would take me to our local park every Tuesday after school. Then when I got older, we would go to the mall. They were some of my favorite times with my mom. It was weird being in a different state to her._

_Later, after arriving home after having lunch at one of the cafes and treating them to ice-cream, I took them up to bed knowing that Damon was busy working and making phone calls in his office._

Walking into Maisie's room, I noticed immediately that Jack was curled into her side, giving her a giant hug and snoring quietly while Maisie let out little purring noises. It had become obvious when I had arrived that they were close but I did not realize it was to this extent. The way Maisie was very quick to protect Jack warmed my heart and made my mind question why Damon was so cold when his children, although stubborn, were so sweet. While waking them up and pushing them into the bathroom to have showers and get dressed I heard Damon get up and slam his bedroom door. I saw him flash past the room and downstairs straight to the study. He was leaving for work in just under 2 hours, couldn't it wait?

Jack and Maisie ate their breakfasts quickly as they watched the screen of the small flat screen in the kitchen. Sitting next to Maisie on one of the stools I noticed that some of her hair was not in a ponytail. "Do you want me to do your hair for you?" I asked.

"No, I can do it," Maisie said jumping down from her stool while Jack stayed engaged in the episode of Maggie and the Ferocious Beast that way playing on the screen. Damon, at the same moment, walked out of his study and up to his room. It was nearing 8am so both Maisie's school bus and Jacks nursery school would be here soon to collect them.

Getting their bags ready, Maisie wanted to say bye to Damon. "Daddy, can I have a hug before we leave? Jack wants one too." Before Damon had replied I knew what his answer would be.

"I'm getting ready for work, sorry sweetheart. Have a good day!" Damon bellowed to Jack and Maisie from the landing. Maisie's eyes showed the same hurt from yesterday but she quickly got excited as the bus arrived with her friends and Jack's nursery school driver arrived outside.

Damon followed down the stairs minutes later, swiftly grabbing his work "You know how to do laundry, right? Could you do the laundry while I am gone? I haven't the time." Damon questioned before he left for work. Great, so now I am a chauffeur and a maid. Lucky me. With the slam of the door behind him, I started to go to work.

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**A/N: Hope you liked this chapter. I was going to wait a few chapters to make the kids nicer but I thought that this chapter kinda showed a bit about their relationship with Damon and how he acts towards them. I was going to make this a fairly long fic but I'm not sure but we will see. I have an idea as to how I want some things to plan out. Also, I want to apologize for not updating when I said I would on my last update, (time and day wise). I only have 17 days left of school so it's kinda crazy but I will have all summer to write and I have some other ideas I want to explore. Anyway, hope you enjoyed this and tell me your guesses as to why Damon is the way he is.**

**Rachel xx**

**P.S. I set my open office to English USA as I live in the UK but to make it believable that it is in Elena's POV, it needed to be in American English. **


	5. Chapter 5

_**Disclaimer : No copyright infringement intended.**_

_**The Nearly-Weds**_

**Chapter 4**

Once I had finished cleaning, doing the laundry and making sure everything was put away I looked at my watch to see that it was already 2:45pm meaning that both Maisie and Jack would be returning home in half an hour. My stomach rumbled and I realized that I'd had nothing to eat since breakfast. Looking around in the kitchen, I saw that the cupboards were pretty much empty and that the only food in the freezer was pizza and a few packets of chicken fingers and fries. I knew that both Maisie and Jack loved take-away and that they loved pizza but I had no idea that that was all that they ate. I never expected before arriving that the children I was going to be looking after had a father that was completely oblivious to anything they needed. Come to think of it, although I had only been there for a couple days, I hadn't seen Damon eat anything the whole time I was here. In one of the cupboards in the corner of the kitchen, I found a packet of biscuits and some marshmallow fluff. Not exactly healthy but I had been gaining weight since my 'wedding'. Not much, but my favorite black skinny jeans no longer fit me and I had no idea if they ever would again.

After my deliciously sweet snack, Maisie and Jack both arrived home quickly, dumping their bags onto the counter top of the island in the kitchen and running to the living room so that they could watch their favorite channels. All they seemed to do was watch TV but at least they were occupied. I had no idea what time Damon would be home but I guessed that it wouldn't be before 8pm when I would make the kids go to bed. I knew Jack would most probably end up in Maisie's bed again, I could tell from the way they were cuddled together on the couch. I wondered if it had anything to do with their father having a great lack of interest in their lives.

Sitting down in the armchair next to the couch they were sat on, I laid my head back and closed my eyes. My body was so achy and tired but I knew that if I went to bed with Jack and Maisie, I would asleep the second my head hit the pillow. Hopefully they would too.

"Heya!" My head shot up at the loud, high-pitched shout from the steps outside the front door. I had no idea who would be here at this time in the afternoon. I looked at the kids who looked to be completely oblivious to the woman standing outside, I guessed they knew who it was and they were expecting her. Walking to the front door, I could see the forehead and blond, wavy hair. Opening the door, I was launched into a hug from the pretty stranger.

"Hi, I'm Caroline. I'm a nanny for Meredith Fell down the road. I usually come and say hi while Meredith is at work and the kids are at their play dates." Caroline seemed so sweet and bubbly and she had amazing style.

"Hi, I'm Elena, the new nanny. I'm sorry, I didn't know that anyone usually came round. I've barely said 10 sentences to Damon and the only thing he has told me is that he needs me to drive him, clean and do his laundry for him. It's nice to meet you."

I invited Caroline in and made us each a cup of coffee. The kids came and gave her a hug and went back to watching 'The Wiggles' and singing along to the red car song. Talking to Caroline, she told me that she had been working here in Boston for about 4 years now. She always wanted to work with children and being a nanny seemed like a good way to travel too. She told me she was from Richmond, about 1 ½ hours away from Mystic Falls. She started telling me about her employee Meredith and Damon's 'friendship'.

"Meredith and Damon have hated each other since before I got here. Something happened a couple months before I arrived, around the time that Jack was born. I've never really asked but apparently Damon always shoved the kids onto her so he could get drunk and sleep with some girl from the bar. She said no one day and so he started hiring nannies so he could carry on with his lifestyle. The kids are so sweet though, I've never understood why Damon never stayed home to be with them much." Caroline looked sympathetically towards Jack and Maisie in the living room and she finished what she was saying. I wanted to know what had happened before Caroline got here but I didn't want to pry and have to deal with Damon having a go at me. "So, where are you from and what are you doing here?"

I told her about my life in Mystic Falls before I left and that I needed a job somewhere else. I didn't tell her about Stefan or anything that had happened in the last month of me being home. We chatted for a little while longer until she had to leave to get her kids and I had to start making dinner before it got too late. Damon had called to say that he would probably be leaving his car there and that he would be back at around midnight. Maisie tried to talk to him but he said that he had to make some important phone calls. Maisie's eyes showed the same emotion as they had every time she had tried to talk to Damon or get him to notice her.

Seeing how upset Maisie was that Damon didn't want to talk, I decided to treat the kids to a McDonald's, even if it was a school night. Both Jack and Maisie rushed upstairs to get ready and ran downstairs with lightning speed. The agency I was employed by had provided a car for me so that I could get around on my own. Jack called shotgun first but had let Maisie sit in the front coming home as long as she gave him some fries. Both of them smiled the whole time in the car and walking into McDonald's. They seemed almost as excited as they had going to the park. It was like they hadn't ever been.

Arriving home, both Maisie and Jack could barely keep their eyes open. It was like all the energy they'd had before had been used so they could jump around and smile all evening. I picked Jack up from out of the car and carried him up the stairs with Maisie trailing behind. Tucking them into their own beds, I said goodnight to them both and they were asleep within minutes.

I climbed into bed and laid down after taking a quick shower. Considering how tired I was before and how much I wanted to sleep, I just couldn't no matter how hard I tried to. I tossed and turned countless times for at least an hour. I tried listening to music and reading. Neither music nor reading worked and I laid my head down against the pillow but not before hearing the noise of tiny feet run across the hallway and into the room that was just past mine. Turning over one final time, I looked at the clock next to my bed and saw it read 00:36. Closing my eyes I heard the slam of the door downstairs before my eyes shut tightly and I fell into a restless sleep.

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A/N: I'm so so sorry that I have not updated in two weeks. School is almost over and so everything is kinda hectic and a lot has been happening. I've been trying to find time to write but something always came up. I have 7 days of school left and them I will be free to write to my hearts content. I am going on holiday for two weeks on the 1st August but I will write and upload to doc manager and then I can update. I want to start writing longer chapters and really start to get into the whole plot of the story. I really hope you liked this chapter and I promise more Damon and some other characters in the next few chapters. Follow me on twitter RachelSkipper1

Rachel xxx


	6. Chapter 6

_**Disclaimer : No copyright infringement intended.**_

**The Nearly-Weds**

**Chapter 5**

Tuesday had been similar to Monday and the pattern had continued on Wednesday and Thursday. Friday was the final day of the week and I knew that Spring Break was nearing closer as Maisie and Jack had been hinting towards heading to the lake soon and just being lazy, not that them being lazy wasn't unusual. Spring break was just 7 days away from starting and I was getting excited myself at the thought of spending my days with the both of them and hoping that Damon would be home a little more to spend some family time and let me have some time to myself. Caroline had been hinting towards getting the kids together at some point to head to the beach and going shopping to get some swimwear and other stuff ready for summer as everything was on offer and I felt like all of my money was going to be spent on McDonald's or Chinese throughout the two weeks of the holiday from school.

The kids and Damon had left a little over thirty minutes ago and I was already exhausted. Damon had needed a ride to work on Tuesday as one of his special 'companions' had brought him home after a late night working hard at the office. Every day this week he had asked me to clean another area of the house that wasn't good enough for him even though he spends on average 8 hours a day here (and he spends the majority of those 8 hours sleeping). I have to admit though, although it is mostly my doing, this house looks neat and clean and, unlike when I arrived, it looks as beautiful on the inside as it does on the out.

As I was about to walk through the doorway towards the living room to watch some TV that wasn't meant for children a quarter of my age I heard Caroline's loud voice calling my name at the door.

"Elena! Hey, Elena! Come on!" Caroline yelled through the large window on the door. I had only known her a couple of days and she had already become one of my best friends and she made me laugh more in 3 days than I had in the past month.

"Calm down, whoa! I'm coming!" I laughed as I shouted back to her.

"Finally! Guess what? Starbucks happy hour is on! I was wondering if you were free, we could head down to the mall and I could introduce you to one of my friends whose a nanny. It's up to you though." Caroline's came at exactly the right moment. There was no good coffee in the house and I just knew that I was going to crash out any minute now.

By the time we reached Starbucks, I wasn't sure if I would even need the coffee any more. Caroline's driving honestly scared me; I had no idea that she would be such a manic driver. Although her personality was bubbly and crazy, she seemed logical and intelligent. It just seems that she may have a lack of common sense, but I still loved her.

As we walked into Starbucks, Caroline was attacked by a short-ish woman with dark hair and light brown skin.

"Hi, I'm Bonnie Bennett. I'm a nanny for the Donovan's a few blocks from the Fell's and Salvatore's. How are you loving working for Damon?" The way Bonnie said his name, it was obvious that she was not, by any means, Damon's biggest fan. To be perfectly honest, neither was I at the moment. The way he was treating me was not how I was expecting but I don't know what else I was expecting considering how he acted when I first met him. He had barely said two words to me before he left me and his two children at the house before driving off to spend the evening with one of his many _special_ friends.

The three of us sat there while we chatted about work and our childhoods and any gossip from the other nannies. We sat and ordered salad for our lunch and it felt so nice to not have to act like a maid or chauffeur. It had been one week and I had already been dragged into doing jobs that a real parent would usually do. I didn't mind giving him a lift once or twice, but not everyday for a week with no thank you. I was beginning to see why Bonnie wasn't his biggest fan.

As it was nearing 2:15pm, I saw a ruggedly handsome man with a dark blazer and blue eyes walked past me, out of the corner of my eye. Attached to his side was a woman with a dress that looked ridiculously expensive considering how little material there was. It was the middle of the afternoon and she walked into Starbucks looking like that.

"That's Damon's personal assistant for the week," Bonnie leaned over and whispered in my ear, "He usually keeps them for a week or two then throws them to the side once he's slept with them so they can do a favor for him. They usually head in here this time, stay till around 6pm, then head to the club down the road before heading back to hers, after that he-"

"-he heads home where he conveniently seems to forget he has kids and responsibilities in his life, besides work and himself, and just sleeps of the alcohol and whatever else." Ok – definitely see why Bonnie doesn't like him. I knew that he had _special_ woman in his life but I had no idea he slept around most nights.

Caroline dropped me home soon after Damon arrived at Starbucks. I didn't want him to see me and I had to get home before Maisie and Jack finished school. Once they got home, we had the simplest night since I got here. Surprisingly, Jack and Maisie were so exhausted, like me, that they almost crash once they sat on the sofa. I sat down with them, Maisie curling into my left and Jack curling into my right, and fell asleep faster than I think I ever have, listening to the quiet TV and the quiet snores coming from either side of me. Today had been fun and I had learnt a lot about Damon's habits today but they weren't very different to what I had figured out from his lack of time at home, but I was so tired from this week.

When I next opened my eyes, the huge, antique clock above the fireplace read about 11:50pm. I had no idea I had slept for so long. Reaching up to stretch I realized that neither Jack or Maisie were beside me. Freaking out slightly, I glanced down onto the coffee table and saw a note:

'I took the kids to bed. Gave them some soup first. There is some left in the fridge, heat it. Will be home late again, Damon.'

Maybe it was rude of me to be shocked that he had actually done something for his kids but it wasn't like he had spent the whole week taking them to bed and actually acknowledging the fact that he was a parent. Maybe I was rude, but _damn_ he made good soup.

* * *

**A/N: I know, I know. You all hate me. I hate myself too for making you wait so long. I lost chapters 5 and 6 trying to download some files from school and whenever I sat down to write, I found something I needed to finish for school. But, summer holidays are officially here, although it doesn't feel like it, but it is. I am going on holiday on the 1st (Friday) till the 15th of August but I am going to write so that I can go to wifi hotspot (hallelujah!) and update for you guys there. I am sorry I am so crap at updating but u had no idea the end of school is so busy, especially when I am fully starting my GCSE's next year. I also was worried that I was moving the story along too fast but adding certain things and I don't want events to suddenly rush and be crappy or to make this too short. I have it all planned in my head but I hope you guys like how I am going to move this story along. :) Follow me on twitter RachelSkipper1 and if you leave a review, I might give you a sneak peak the day before I update as a thank you. i hope you enjoyed this and I promise Damon and the kids will be in it more in the next chapter. **

**Rachel xx**


	7. Chapter 7

_**Disclaimer : No copyright infringement intended.**_

**The Nearly-Weds**

**Chapter 6**

The sun was streaming through the lacy curtains of my room as I slowly turned my head towards the direction of the windows. The sunlight was warm on my face and I felt more awake than I had all week. Damon had lived in his study for the whole day yesterday before heading out, claiming he had to go to the office, not returning until the early hours of the morning. Me, Maisie and Jack had a very relaxing lazy day, sitting watching TV in our pyjamas. It was fun and exactly what I needed after a very long and tiring week. Maisie and Jack had been fine all day until it was time to head up to bed. I knew that throughout the week it had been a complete struggle to have them up to bed before 10pm and that wasn't including actually even getting into bed for Maisie. Last night they had both just straight out refused to go to bed unless the both of them were tucked into Maisie's princess crown bed. I knew that Jack always snuck in anyway but at least he started in his Star Wars themed bedroom. In the end, I decided to just give in as I just wanted a night sleep that was not stopped by the sound of a bedroom door slamming next to mine. Getting to bed, like the night before, I was asleep in minutes. I didn't even hear the front door shut when Damon arrived home. Maisie had been so upset when Damon had announced he was leaving and wasn't going to be staying home for dinner. I had expected that but I hadn't expected Jack to run to his bedroom, Maisie following quickly behind him.

It was an amazing Sunday morning however. I'd had an amazing sleep and felt more awake than I had all week. I didn't even mind the sun was currently hitting my eyes, blinding me from seeing the clock clearly. Bonnie had invited me and the kids to go to church with her today. Caroline already went with her 'kids' so I thought it would be nice for all of us to go.

The church was packed full of local people from the surrounding communities and Caroline pointed out lots of nannies that came with their employer's children. I was shocked at how many of them were nannies. If I was being perfectly honest, I hadn't been in a church for a very long time for anything other than a wedding or funeral. And I certainly hadn't stepped foot near one since my failed wedding. I had never been particularly religious but I found no harm in going once or twice. God knows I wasn't completely perfect as a teenager like my parents thought. Thank God nothing ever happened so they had to come and pick me up, I would still be grounded now if they had ever found out what had happened.

"Did you go to church often?" Bonnie asked me quietly as the pastor walked around where we were sitting, shaking hands and greeting members of the congregation. "I think going to church and having a spiritual side or element to your being is important." Caroline had already told me on the journey here that Bonnie was a spiritualist. I had no problem with her being a spiritualist, it really just opened my eyes to see how people had different views.

As I looked around to try and spot the pastor in the huge group of people stood in the aisle, I saw him turn around. He was a lot younger than what I was expecting and that really shocked me. He looked to be around our age. He was kinda cute. Bonnie was ogling at him and he turned round and caught her eye as he made his way to the front of the church. He had an amazingly friendly persona and that radiated throughout the church and reminded me of the church back home.

I remember walking into the church for the first time after Stefan popped the most important question that anyone could ask a girl. My mother requested that we have the wedding at the church as it was a grand building in the centre of town, and I was engaged to a Fell. My mother and Stefan's mother demanded that everyone that was anyone in town had to be invited to the wedding. Everyone that was wealthy already knew of our relationship, it was only a matter of time in their eyes. The church was practically booked the second my mother heard the news and, at the time, it was the one thing I knew I wanted. As long as we had a church, it didn't matter who attended, I was going to marry the one man I wanted to spend my life with. The church was grand and the wedding was going to be huge but it was warming inside the church and gave me a comforting feeling that everything was going to be perfect. Of course, the feeling of happiness the church gave me turned out to be a warning that everything was going to come crashing down on what was supposed to be our one special day. Still, the church held something.

When the service was over, Bonnie, Caroline and I stood in the aisle, while everyone filed out or stopped to engage in another conversation with the Pastor, waiting for all of employers' children to come back to us.

"Excuse me, I don't think I've seen you before, are you new around here? I'm Jeremy, and you are?" The Pastor's voice took me by surprise when I heard it so close.

"I'm Elena Gilbert, the new nanny for Damon Salvatore. The service was amazing this morning, thank you." While I was talking, I could see his gaze shift towards Bonnie who was standing by my side.

"Your welcome, thank you joining us. And I don't think I've seen you around either." As his body shifted forwards and closer to Bonnie, Caroline winked at me and took it as a hint that we should wait outside for them. Walking out the doors, I breathed a sigh of relief that I didn't know I was holding. It was comforting to feel so welcome into a community, even if my employer was hostile whenever he was actually home. The kids were a hastle at night and dealing with Damon's excuses towards his children was not what I was expecting. But I had met two amazing friends already and I was beginning to feel welcome. That's something I never felt in a gossip town like. Mystic Falls.

* * *

**A/N: You know when somewhere says they have wifi? Is it just me or do you expect to be able to connect to it and do you expect to actually have some internet service? Sorry for being high maintenance but when you offer wifi,I actually want to be able to do something. I'm sorry for not being able to update but I have got an extremely detailed plan of the next few chapters and things will really start to heat up and move the story line along more. I really hope you enjoyed this chapter. I promise the next one will be better. Maybe even an actual conversation between Damon and Elena. Although their conversations nearly always end in an argument. The next few chapters will be longer as a lot, lot more will happen and the main storyline finally starts now that nearly all of the characters have been involved. Follow me on twitter RachelSkipper1 send me a DM and review. If you do, you might be a lucky person and find a sneak peak of the next chapter in your DM/PM box. **

**Rachel xx**


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: I'm sorry this isn't an update but I just needed to address something.**

**I know my updates have been irregular and slow and that the chapters aren't exactly the longest. I am trying my hardest but, like most people, I do have a social life and other priorities may arise, especially after September as I am doing my GCSE's. I'm sorry but I do want this to be good as it is my first multi-chapter fanfic so I am trying to take time to ensure that the chapters are good enough to upload. **

**But if you want me to upload, I need a little motivation from you guys. Reviews are the best way to prove to me that you are enjoying this and want me to continue and to give me your opinions, predictions, criticism and anything else you want to say to me. I know a lot of authors on here are always going on about more reviews but I don't have the motivation to speed up my updates unless I know people want me to continue and that you guys have positive opinions or criticism if I am doing something wrong or anything you want me to change. I have a plan for the chapters and direction but if you have any ideas or anything you might want to see, leaving a review means I will see it and can include them into the chapters. I am loving reading DamonsBourbon1864 and Sorryboutthat's reviews and a few others but I need more. I love reading the few I receive and I just want to have some more feedback, no matter what you say, just to have some motivation. And posting a review that says 'Please Update Soon' along with nothing else like a view or opinion is not exactly motivating, it kinda makes me feel like you guys just want this to carry on and finish. **

**I have had over 4,000 views and for me, someone of my age, makes me feel amazing and confident but reviews are what anyone strives for and I just want to hear what you think of my writing and what you guys think will happen. **

**Please start to leave more reviews and I will update more. I have had two so far for chapter 6 and I would love some more. Please?**

**Rachel xx**


	9. Chapter 9

_**Disclaimer : No copyright infringement intended.**_

_**The Nearly-Weds**_

_**Chapter 7**_

There are some days were I can wake up and actually feel good about the day. So what if the night before, Maisie and Jack spent the majority of the evening complaining about the imaginary spiders like that to crawl out of the walls in their bedroom? It's becoming a normal routine now. I have been in Boston for a little over a month now. The days are the same, as are the nights, and I'm getting used to never really seeing my employer; Maisie and Jack's excuses are never really changing and I'm starting to like watching Jack try and copy Maisie's ballet and swimming class. The first week was a struggle here and I was unsure whether or not I was doing the right thing for myself. I wasn't sure if being here without Stefan was right; but things are looking up now. I've realized that it's going to take a while for my heart to understand that he isn't coming to get me like in some famous rom-com, that there can be a million miles between us and I will still miss him, but Boston is growing on me; and to be honest, Maisie and Jack are the main reasons for that. Spring break had been a fun two weeks, going to the park nearly every day, taking them to the bakery to buy red velvet cupcakes. It was the most fun I'd had in a long while, and it was all thanks to their smiles.

Walking through the fresh air of the quiet suburb where the Salvatore house is situated, I truly notice for the first time that it's actually nice here. It's not full of selfish, rich people like Mystic Falls and I don't have to act like a snob just because my family is wealthy due to the fact that I am part of one of the founding families. It's not too far from the loud center of the city and it warms my heart to see small toddlers playing in the park, enjoying childhood as I walk home from the grocery store a couple blocks away.

As I turned the key and entered the door, I noticed a small envelope on the floor of the hallway. I bent down and picked it up turning it over to look at the front of it, noticing that there was no address and no name. Curious, I laid the groceries down onto the kitchen counter and opened the envelope. I knew I should have felt guilty opening a letter that potentially wasn't mine, but I had a small glimmer of hope fluttering in my stomach that it might be from Stefan.

Then the doorbell rang. _Damn._

I quickly glanced at the clock noticing that it was in fact quarter-past three, meaning that both Maisie and Jack were home, ready to start their weekend with a lazy Friday night. Jack ran straight into the living room as a means of 'bagsy' for choosing whatever movie we were to watch before dinner. The three of us had loved watching funny movies while on spring break and so I decided to start a tradition for Friday nights before heading out to McDonald's after Maisie has had ballet. It was my turn to choose the flavor of milkshake that we had so I walked into the pantry and chose chocolate knowing that it was Maisie and Jack's favorite flavor. Walking back out to the kitchen, I saw Jack trying to sit on one of the bar stools in front of the counter. I picked him up and walked over to the blender ready to make our drinks.

"Who's letter is this, Elena? Can I read it?" Ok, so I completely forgot about the letter, I should have hidden it before answering the door. I couldn't tell him the truth either, I hadn't read it yet myself.

"It's mine, sweetie. It's, um, a very special letter from my, um, daddy. Yeah, my daddy, so you can't read it." That was believable, right? That was very believable.

"Oh, ok. Can you tell your daddy that I said hello?"

"I will when I reply. Go and sit with your sister now and then I will bring the milkshakes in." Once he had left the room, I opened up the letter and started reading. With the first six words, I knew that Stefan was not the person that had written this.

_Dear my one and only, Damon,_

_I know it has been many weeks since I last wrote to you or last heard your voice. I have wanted to write to you so many times but I didn't want to send another letter before reading your reply to mine. I have no idea why I have not yet received your letter and am ready to assume that it is lost somewhere in the mail. I know that you probably wish that I had read your heartfelt words but maybe your next letter will arrive to me soon. _

_I saw you recently, almost a week ago. You were out at the new restaurant you said you would take me to after our last 'date'. You were dressed in a dark blue shirt with your black blazer. I know I have told you this previously but dark colors really are for you. They bring out your sparkling, blue eyes against your skin. _

_I know you must be wondering what this letter is all about but I just needed to tell you everything I've said before. There is so much about me that you don't know; so much that you could discover. This, us, is just the start – the start of something beautiful. If you let us start. Please, my love, listen to your heart. You know we are great together, Damon, you know deep down in your soul. Don't make a mistake and ignore the feelings you have for me. You may be scared but I promise to catch you when you fall. _

_Yours forever,_

_Juliet xxx_

"Can I read your letter, Elena?" Maisie asked, making my whole body jump. I hadn't heard a footstep behind me. I tried to hide the letter behind my back, aware that she had already seen it and wanted to read it. I just hoped the saying 'out of sight, out of mind' would apply right now.

"Er, no, it's just a bill," I say.

"You told Jack it was from your daddy, I heard you."

"It is. My dad's called Bill. It's just something you would find boring."

"You told me his name was Grayson."

"What's with the 20 questions? Stop being nosey little Missy. It's a private letter, and I don't want you or Jack reading it, ok?" I hope this would stop her asking so many questions so we could just stop and watch Despicable Me 2.

"Is it a love letter, Elena? Is it from your boyfriend?" Maisie asks, her eyes sparkling with excitement at the fact that it might actually be a love letter like in her storybooks upstairs.

"Of course not, silly. Absolutely not." As her eyes drop, I feel bad for crushing her excitement. At least I'm not being completely dishonest, it's not _my _love letter.

* * *

Ok, so my plan is this: go to a grocery store, pick up an envelope, re-seal the letter inside, leave it on Damon's desk. This way, he will never know that I even opened the letter that was so very obviously not mine to read. We have barely said two words to each other in the whole month I have been here, other than hearing him ask me to make sure everything looks perfect in his home. I don't know why I bother, he either lives in his office in the center of Boston, in a hotel room with one of his _friends _or here at home in his study. I can pick up the envelope once I have taken Maisie to ballet and I can make sure that I buy some of Damon's favorite coffee. But first, it's time to watch some minions!

Once we arrived at the dance school, I started to relax a little more knowing that Damon is never home from work before 11pm and that there is a small postal store right around the corner. Jack and I took Maisie into the building and waited for Mrs Logan to start teaching first and second position before rushing off towards the post office to collect the one thing I need. I keep Jack attached to my side as I squash my way through the door and into the greeting card aisles, picking up the first brown envelope I see and pulling Jack towards the checkout till. We made our way back to where Maisie is smiling so much her face must ache every Friday night and wait patiently, or at least _I _wait patiently while Jack runs up and down the corridor yelling 'Superman', ready for her to come out and go to the drive-thru at McDonald's. I am lazy, tired and just too damn lazy to cook tonight. It's not like they are going to complain. They don't ever.

Shortly after I almost back the car into the garage door behind me and Maisie almost falls out the car after dropping her happy meal toy, I realize that the traffic we got caught in driving out of the busy city center means it's nearly 9:30pm. 9:30pm on a Friday is when the fun starts to happen and I get to hear Maisie and Jack's creative excuses as to why he can't go to his room or why Maisie can't get into bed. At least it's not a school night and these excuses are becoming hilarious bedtime stories for me.

"What if the monster tries to eat my toes? Or if he tries to scare Jack in his room? It gets really, really dark in his room," Maisie said with her puppy dog eyes. I broke the first few nights when Maisie looked at me, her sparkling blue eyes that she inherited from her father staring at me with an adorable expression. I got better at saying no, trying to bribe her so I didn't have to say no straight out and hear her scream. Now I can say no, even through I know what will happen once they think I'm asleep.

"Well then, I will run into your room and chase him away. But you both need sleep. It's Saturday tomorrow which means we could head to the park. But you both need to get a good night's rest, you are so tired. You can always see each other and give each other mahoosive hugs in the morning but you need to sleep tonight."

Just 15 minutes later they are both in bed asleep and I am just waiting to hear Jack's tiny footsteps that creep into Maisie's room. I wish I had had a sibling when I was younger but my parents never had anymore children. I was happy but it got a little lonely sometimes. I stupidly feel a tiny bit jealous at their close relationship but it's the cutest thing I have ever seen.

My shoulders relaxed as I walked down the stairs towards the kitchen to grab a bottle of light beer, put the letter into the envelope and head up to bed with Damon none the wiser. However, I froze as I reached the doorway into the kitchen as my eyes drift towards the full plate of tomato pasta sitting on the counter meaning one thing. Damon is home. I wouldn't normally be worried about him being home early, I wouldn't mind at all if he read his kids a bedtime story one night or just spent some time with them before bed. No, but I am worried when there is a plate of pasta on the counter where I left the opened love letter that was written for Damon's eyes only.

I walked to the fridge swiftly hoping he wouldn't notice if I was down. I opened the door and had my hand on a bottle of Coors when I hear him walk into the kitchen behind me.

I turned around to see his face but wish I could turn around and hide when I see the look of frustration in his eyes. If his eyes weren't so amazing, I'm pretty sure I would be scared as hell right now. "Would you care to tell me what the hell it was that I found when I arrived home this evening?" Damon said coldly.

"What do you mean?" I ask innocently.

"You've been _opening_ my mail!"

"No, w-well, n-not exactly. I mean-"

"_Why _in the _hell _would _anyone _do that?" Ok, so he is really, really pissed. "Why would anyone come into my home and open my personal mail that has nothing at all to do with them?"

"I didn't mean to open it." I know I sound pathetic.

"What? So your hand just slipped? You _accidentally _opened the envelope, _accidentally _took the letter out and _accidentally _ left it out for me to see?"

"Well, yes. I mean there was no-"

"Oh, Christ. You _seriously _expect me to believe that? I mean, I've met some shitty, disrespectful people in my time but you really do take the biscuit. I mean, wow..."

And he continues to go on. Ok, so I know I really don't have a right to be angry at him when he is right that it was wrong, but in my defense, how the hell was I suppose to know what was in the letter. And really, with all the shit I've had to put up with so far, in only a month, it gives him no right to stand there and yell at me without hearing me first. Especially when this is the first _actual _conversation I guess we have had since I was employed. I just want to snap right now. I lift my left hand up and slam it down onto the kitchen counter at full force, intending to make a sound and get him to shut up and listen. What I forgot was the plate of tomato pasta sat on top of the counter.

Pieces of penne pasta fly across the room like a firework display at New Year's and send streams of red sauce behind them. The plate spins of the counter and smashes onto the floor. Ok, Elena, you need to run. Like, now. Don't wait for his reaction, just run. Or wait here and beg for forgiveness on your knees. Shit...

I look up at Damon's face which is covered in a shocked expression and a couple of blobs of sauce. He's silent. I look at his now-red nose and frown. His face is neatly shaven and he has a been wearing a designer suit today meaning he had an important day at work. His white shirt makes the skin of his neck look slightly more tan and the blue in his eyes stand out even more. He opens his mouth and I see the curve of his Adam's apple move though no words come out. I stare at his face more, annoyed at how much I'm noticing about his sculptured cheekbones, his determined brow and full, pinky-red lips. He's beautiful, he really is. No matter how annoying his lack of appearance is, or the way he doesn't shut up while pissed off, he looks breathtaking.

But I can't let it distract me. "I was _trying _to tell you that when I arrived home earlier, the letter was in a blank, brown envelope with _no _name and _no _address. I had no idea what the letter was and I certainly wish I had never opened it."

He straightens his back, his eyes sharpening again, clearly reminding myself that he's supposed to be annoyed at me. "But now you do?" I look at him and frown again, feeling annoyed that he just _had _to have the last word on the matter.

Before he has the chance to say anything, I grab the bottle of Coors from the counter next to me, and walk past the mess I made. "I'm going to bed," I announced as I head towards the doorway, feeling a surge of elation towards myself. I made Damon shut up and listen to me. Wow! I go to open the beer as a way of celebration when I realize that I have no way of opening it.

Ok, so not a disaster. He's probably left the mess for me tomorrow and is sulking in his study as we speak. I can do this without him seeing. The drawer it's in is next to the doorway. I can reach round and grab it without him realizing. It's simple. I'm in the kitchen with my hand in the drawer when I catch Damon doing something I have never seen before; he's wiping down the tomato from the walls and counter top. It's not like I've never seen cleaning fluid before; it's just, the few times I've seen him examine the bottle, it's with a similar expression as I would expect on a caveman that's been presented with an Ikea flat-pack.

When he catches me looking at him, he stands up and reaches into his back pocket. "Here," he says, holding out the bottle-opener towards me. "I used it earlier."

"Thank you," I say quickly, taking the opener from his extended hand.

"No problem."

I am about to turn around when I catch his eye and notice he is staring at me and I feel a rush of heat at my neck, creeping to my cheeks. He's smirking. Why is he smirking? I frown again as his mouth twitches at the side and I realize he is trying not to burst out laughing. The thought alone makes me smile, which triggers the next sound that echoes in the kitchen. His laugh. Uncontrollable laughter, that clearly isn't going to stop anytime soon, even if he does hold the back of his hand to his mouth. His laugh is infectious as a second laugh joins his and I realize it's coming from my mouth. When I think I've got it under control, I look up from my feet as my body is hunched and catch his eye – starting me off again. And him.

Eventually, with tears in our eyes, Damon directs me back towards the door. "Get outta here," he chuckles, "Crazy woman."

As I run giddily up the stairs, it's strikes me that this truly is our first proper conversation and that this is probably the strangest thing that's happened in the whole month of me moving. Oh, God, now I really need that beer.

* * *

**A/N: Just a quick note, my auntie says 'mahoosive' instead of massive and makes me laugh so I thought I would add it. She said it when I was little and she says it now. I hope you enjoyed DE's first actual convo and that you liked the way their encounter ended. Maybe this means that the nicer, fun side of Damon is coming out... Or he had one too many beers earlier! You will have to wait and see how things progress. My friend told me that my story was getting boring without Damon and I agreed with her but I have had this planned in my head for a little while. I'm sorry it took me so long to update again. I don't like putting up sub-par work when I know I could improve it. I'm sorry and I am trying to get better at updating and I really hope you liked the first chapter of the actual plot/storyline. =) I am loving writing this and don't wanna move to fast or slow so I really hope you like the way my story will continue.**

**Rachel xxx**


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N: This is a sort of flashback chapter for Elena and something shocking happens at the end for her. I thought it would be something different. Sorry for any mistakes. See you after the chapter =)**

**Disclaimer: No copyright infringement intended.**

**The Nearly-Weds**

**Chapter 8**

It's been three days since the pasta incident and I haven't seen Damon since. I don't know why but he has always left for work before I wake up and is home once I am asleep. I know it's stupid as the only reason I want to see him is because of my minor fixation to his body but it's annoyingly stupid to ignore. I haven't known Damon all that long and have only spoken to him once but I know enough to know that I have never and will never be attracted to a man-whore like Damon. No matter how amazing they look.

I have never been that shallow to start talking to a guy because of the way his muscles flex. When I met Stefan, it was personality that shone through his eyes. That's when I noticed his perfect appearance. He was my everything. I was so shocked at the time that everything crumbled. In hindsight, I should have realized that, with the lead up to the wedding, things were rocky.

One thing I have realized is that, there was no actual 'popping of the question'. There was no big romantic gesture or dramatic moment where he got down on one knee, professed his love to me, gave me the ring and then spent 1 year planning. I guess it was just a natural thing one night. Kinda like asking 'what's for dinner?', just more of a 'it's time we got married, how was work?' I guess now I should have realized that it was an accidental slip of the tongue. At the time I just assumed it wasn't us to do huge romantic date nights with candles and fine food.

I remember going to our friend's engagement party. Her mom had slaved for days and days over the venue, catering, her dress, all for just an engagement party. We were all sat in this huge hall at a long table. Stefan lent forwards to refill his glass of red wine when he turned to me and said "Where should we get married?" I just sat there, thinking about it logically, knowing our parents would take over. I wasn't excited or shocked, it was just a little random to suddenly ask me there.

That's when our parents started planning our big day. 14 months of planning every intricate detail. It was only 2 months before the wedding, I was sat at a coffee shop writing when I stared at my left hand. It was bare. I had no engagement ring or anything on my left hand. I had a necklace round my neck that he had given me pretty early on in our relationship; that was one of the few items he had ever bought me. We went shopping that weekend to buy it. Stefan suggested we use some of the loan our parents had begged us to take out; you'd be crazy to think they'd spend the money they inherited from being founders. The loan was larger than the cost of a whole island in the Mediterranean. I'd thought about how long it would've taken us to pay it off. Luckily for me, our home sold for a little more than the outstanding price of the loan. The rest I spent on the plane ticket to Boston.

Our wedding was to be traditional, following as many 'rules' as possible. The night before we went to our rehearsal dinner and departed for the last time as single people. When Stefan kissed me on the doorstep of my parents home, I had no doubt in my mind that he would not be there at 2pm at the church alter. He looked nervous as hell but I thought we would've been married by 3pm.

I woke up bubbling with happiness, listening to everyone talk about our kids names and whether or not we would buy a bigger house after getting married. My father had been in his tux since 6:15am that morning. Everyone in the house was so happy for us. Then there was me: excited, elated, nervous. But I had no doubt in my head that I was about to marry the love of my life and get my happy ever after.

My dad lead the way towards the car that was to take us to the church, the photographer capturing every last moment of my single life. The sun warmed my shoulders and I smiled at the cloudless sky.

"Elena, can we get a picture of you and your father alone?" asked the photographer from our porch. We laughed and posed and my dad got a little teary eyed when someone mentioned that his little girl was growing up and changing her name. Someone caught my eye at that moment, walking towards us, with a weird look on his face.

Alex, Stefan's best man and cousin, was walking towards us, speaking into his phone, shouting a couple of words I couldn't quite hear. He caught my eye and I frowned. His eyes grew wide as he realized I saw him and his face made it look as though he was contemplating turning around and running for his life.

"You okay?" I mouthed as he starting walking slower towards us.

He hesitated before moving closer. "Can you... just give us a minute?" he asked everyone around us.

The photographer recognized the look in his eyes and turned back to our house, turning the camera off.

"Listen, Elena," Alex said, rubbing his neck to show his nerves. "There's been a little bump in the road."

"A bump?" I asked calmly.

"What do you mean a bump?" my father exclaimed from behind me.

Alex gulped.

"Oh god no, the flowers aren't right are they? Are they that bad?" So, not the worst thing in the world. But broken flowers were not how I had imagined my dream wedding décor.

"No, not that."

"The pianist? My mother warned me that his time keeping was less than par but-"

"Stop, Elena. It's nothing like that at all."

"Then what is it?"

"It's Stefan."

"Oh my god, is he hurt? Is he gonna be ok?"

"No, he's fine. I mean, he's not fine..."

"For god's sake, what? What is the issue?"

"He's not coming," Alex said, lowering his eyes. "Elena, he isn't coming."

And that is how my big day crashed.

* * *

**A/N: I'm sorry I haven't updated in nearly a month. School has been full steam since going back and starting all of my GCSE subjects. I had no idea it would be so difficult and I had no idea I would have so much coursework to complete all the time. I am hoping to get chapter 9 written and uploaded by Monday as you guys will finally find out why Damon is the way he is and you will see Maisie actually crack from being so let down and lonely. I hope you guys are reading this still and still support me. I am sorry but I am trying to get organised and on top of everything. Sorry for any mistakes I made. **

**Rachel xxx**


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